Bart Watson, Chief Economist for the Brewers Association, is a stats geek, beer lover, and Certified Cicerone®. He holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, where in addition to his dissertation, he completed a comprehensive survey of Bay Area brewpubs one pint at a time. You can follow him on Twitter @BrewersStats.

Chris Swersey lives in Salmon, Idaho. He serves as supply chain specialist, seeking out long-term opportunities to ensure BA members have access to a sufficient supply of high quality ingredients. He represents the BA at the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute, the National Barley Growers Association, and on the Hop Research Council.

Chuck joined the Brewers Association staff in 2013 after a long career as a craft brewer. He opened Tennessee’s first brewpub, Boscos, in 1992. As an owner and director of brewery operations for Boscos Brewing Company, he opened additional brewpubs in Memphis, Nashville and Little Rock, Ark. In 2007, Chuck opened and operated Ghost River Brewing in Memphis. He has served as chair of the Association of Brewers Board of Advisors, chair of the Association of Brewers Board of Directors and was a member of the first Board of Directors for the Brewers Association. In his capacity as technical brewing projects manager, Chuck works with the technical committee and the safety, sustainability, quality, draught beer quality, engineering, information technology and supply chain subcommittees, as well as the keg repatriation working group, to encourage and facilitate best practices in all phases of Brewers Association members’ brewery operations.

The Finance Committee provides high-level oversight of the Brewers Association’s financial activity. The committee is responsible for determining the management of the association’s investment funds, and ensuring compliance with the established Investment Portfolio Strategy (IPS). Additionally, the committee has developed financial resources to be used within the craft brewing industry, provided consultation to staff on financial matters, and served as a separate level of review for practices done in conjunction with the annual financial audit.